Title

Author

Date of Award

2015

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

As social emotional learning gains greater focus, identifying effective interventions for high-risk students, such as students with Emotional/ Behavioral Disorder (EBD), becomes a priority. Mindfulness, as an intervention, offers a unique set of skills to increase emotional awareness and regulation, while also teaching key social emotional skills (Singh et al, 2007). Mindfulness, or the nonjudgmental observation of one's thoughts, feelings, and emotions, has roots in Buddhist philosophy, but is used secularly in the fields of psychology, medicine, and education (Baer, 2003). In this mixed methods study, the researcher aims to examine the experiences of adolescents who have EBD at an alternative high school as they participate in a mindfulness curriculum taught in their PE/Health class. Data was collected before, during, and after the teaching of the mindfulness intervention, vis-à-vis interviews, journal entries, mindfulness measures, and behavioral trackers. The researcher shows the applicability of mindfulness to the students' lives.